


Reworking

by Musical_Fandom



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akira is not having a fun time, Altered Mental States, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Ending, Codependency, Dubcon Kissing, Emotional Manipulation, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, M/M, Nightmares, Non-Consensual Drug Use, November 20 Interrogation (Persona 5), One Shot, Post-November 20 Interrogation (Persona 5), Stockholm Syndrome, Unhealthy Relationships, oof
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 07:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30085785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musical_Fandom/pseuds/Musical_Fandom
Summary: The plan goes awry during the interrogation leaving Akira in a bad position.A companion fic to Revision with Akira's point of view.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 8
Kudos: 80





	Reworking

**Author's Note:**

> You should probably read the other fic so that this one makes a bit more sense. [Revision.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29806977)

Akira's head swam as he tried to recall the events which led him to this point. He closed his eyes to focus but the drugs that made their way through his system clouded his mind. He was... a Phantom Thief, or maybe he wasn't? He couldn't tell if his memory was being influenced by the drugs or not, not when he thought of talking cats and demons. But that was all real, right? Morgana couldn't have been a fever dream. If he didn't talk, he certainly knew he had a cat.

The door to the interrogation room opened. Akira looked up to see a woman with familiar red eyes. Their intensity was almost startling as she inspected him. They softened only slightly when she saw the state he was in before they reverted their previous cold hardness. In that split second, Akira's mind screamed Makoto. The fog in his mind lifted just enough for him to grasp who the woman was. Sae Niijima, Makoto's older sister and ruler of the palace he had been escaping from mere hours ago. Or maybe it had been days? The lack of clocks or windows in the small grey room made time stretch on into eternity. Seconds passed but they were impossible to count.

"I wasn't expecting it to be you." Akira was almost taken aback with how clear her voice was. He'd been expecting the garbled layer of distortion to lace her voice just like her shadow. Although, this was the real world, he was fairly certain it was, it only made sense she would sound like herself. "I'm going to need you to tell me everything."

Everything. A difficult request when he didn't _have_ everything at the moment. Still, he had to do his best. Some part of him knew deep down that it was his responsibility to tell Sae what she needed to know so that's exactly what he did. He recounted his first days in Tokyo with a sense of uncertainty. Even if his mind hadn't been thoroughly turned inside out by whatever he'd been given, that was half a year ago. Anyone would have trouble remembering the fine details that far back.

Akira paused his story when he got to Shujin. He glanced at his phone. There was an app, the metanav, it was significant. There was some purpose beyond being their key to the metaverse but it was all so twisted. He knew he was missing something but he couldn't understand what it was.

"Is something wrong?" Sae's voice held both concern and annoyance. She crossed her arms and followed his gaze to the phone. She opened her mouth to speak but Akira cut her off.

"My first day at Shujin." He continued. That got her attention off the phone and back onto him. It would be better to save that for when he knew what to do.

Akira painted his time in Kamoshida's castle with broad strokes. There were so many details that he just didn't remember. Even his timeframe for the infiltration was mostly guesswork. While he told Sae, he saw how little she believed him. Of course she wasn't going to believe his ridiculous story. He wasn't entirely sure if he believed it himself, still somewhat uncertain whether or not it actually was just a side effect of the drugs.

As Akira moved on from his first heist to his second, something felt wrong. His head started hurting much more than before as the effects of the drugs seemed to grow stronger. It was through gritted teeth that Akira told the story of Madarame. The entire time, his vision blurred and cleared leaving him nauseous. His retelling of the whole ordeal was rushed and sloppy.

"And what about this man, Junya Kaneshiro? Even the police's network couldn't catch him yet you managed to succeed."

The police's network. That phrase meant something. There was something about the police he was missing. They had- he didn't know. Maybe it wasn't the entire network?Black spots danced in his vision as he thought on it. The police's network, there was something behind that.

"Kurusu." Sae's firm tone reminded him of the task at hand. He launched into his story about Kaneshiro's bank. The greed brought to form that helped Makoto to awaken to her persona. Of course, when Akira brought that up, he was sure not to use names. Despite being seconds from passing out at any given moment, he was determined to protect his friends.

_"It seems you've been sold out."_

That couldn't have been right. His friends would never betray him. They would protect him with their life just as he would them. _Where are they then?_ Akira shook his head, ignoring the small voice. There had to be a good reason he'd gotten caught in the palace, he just couldn't remember it yet.

Akira's mind seemed to clear a fraction as he got to Futaba's palace. He told the events with the utmost seriousness. As he did, his gaze flicked to the camera. Futaba... Akira abruptly realized that he wasn't alone. Futaba had to be watching, right? There was no way she wasn't, his friends wouldn't just leave him alone like this with no connection, right? There was just something he was missing.

When Sae showed Akira the picture of Kunikazu Okumura, he felt his heart drop. With the slight prompt, he was able to remember the events of Okumura's palace with startling clarity. How could he not? They'd done everything right but he still died. It hadn't been their fault, no, it had been the doing of the black mask. The criminal who did as he pleased with the metaverse had killed Okumura and left them to take the fall.

~~_Just like his friends._ ~~

That was when Akechi had valiantly come to their aid. A beacon that shone just a bit too bright to be natural. He'd had an ulterior motive. Something much more sinister than wanting to end the Phantom Thieves.

The phone. Akira found his eyes drawn to it once again. They'd bugged Akechi's phone. It was right before they entered Sae's palace but they had known he was up to something. He wanted to... He wanted to kill Akira.

Akira didn't know if it was the drugs or the sudden revelation that made him feel sick. Maybe it was the drugs because he was starting to feel lightheaded as the events of the past few days unraveled in his mind. Akechi had wanted to _kill_ him. He'd want to even though- He shook his head, thinking about that only made the betrayal more bitter. He didn't want to focus on the feelings he'd had ~~and still has~~ for his would be murderer. No, he focused on the plan. He needed Sae to show Akechi the phone. He needed Akechi in the metaverse or else he was going to die.

Akira opened his mouth to speak. He meant to say something but he couldn't quite muster the mental energy for it. He was tired. The drugs mixed with the general exhaustion leading to a dangerous combination. He was so tempted to close his eyes and just rest but this was his life on the line.

"Who do I show the phone to?"

"Not a... teammate."

Akira watched Sae leave. He waited for her to come back. He _needed_ the next person who walked through that door to be her. Unfortunately, the universe hated him. Fate absolutely despised Akira Kurusu because it _wasn't_ Sae Niijima that walked through the door.

Goro Akechi walked through the door.

A guard trailed behind him looking nervous. Akira watched the two of them enter, adrenaline now working desperately to keep him conscious. He was going to die. There was no way Akechi wasn't going to kill him. After everything they'd been through-

_**Bang** _

The guard fell to the ground. Blood pooled from his stomach as he stopped moving. Akira could do nothing but watch.

_**Bang** _

Akechi shot the camera that had been trained on him the entire time. No witnesses. Akira felt his heart beat pick up as Akechi turned to him. His eyes were devoid of any warmth, it was so different from what Akira was used to. Part of him wanted to see the same fire he had when they had their last one on one conversation before all this. The soft warmth that melted his heart after they kissed. He knew it wasn't really the time to be thinking of that but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to hate Akechi. He didn't want to be scared of him. He loved him but Akechi was going to kill him.

"Game over."

Akira made a decision when he felt the cold metal of the gun against his head. He looked into Akechi's eyes. If Akechi was going to kill him, he would have to _look_. Akechi's hand tightened around the trigger, that same cold look in his eyes. Akira flinched but didn't break eye contact. They sat there like that for what felt like an eternity before Akechi smirked. He lowered the gun and his eyes softened. 

Akira's heart began to race. Was he changing his mind? He fought to keep his face neutral. He didn't want to show Akechi just how happy he was in case it was some sort of trick. Besides, he shouldn't have been _happy,_ not with the dead man lying in the corner of the room.

After a few moments of nothing from Akechi, Akira spoke. "Akechi..." His throat hurt. He hadn't realized it during the interrogation but talking so much had done a number on him. His voice was all scratchy from how much talking he'd done with Sae. Part of him wished he could have saved his voice for this moment. Apparently the plan hadn't mattered. Either Sae hadn't been properly convicted or Akechi had seen through it somehow. Either were possible. Akechi was smart and Sae was skeptical.

Just as the adrenaline began to wear off, Akechi leaned in. Akira felt his heart rate pick up when their lips connected. Something in his brain completely stopped working at that point. He was confused but elated when he kissed Akechi back. It was a long kiss. As long as it could be for someone who had been kicked in the ribs with steel toed boots just a couple hours ago. When Akira's lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen, he had to quickly pull away and gasp for air. The suddenness of it made him cough. Suddenly he couldn't stop. He kept coughing until he was surprised that he hadn't started coughing up blood or something.

When the coughing finally died down, Akira found himself struggling to breathe. He felt more tired than he had before. His body was so heavy, he just wanted to lay down somewhere and rest, preferably for the rest of his life.

"Can you stand?" Akira watched Akechi walk past the deadman to be at his side. Akira gave a shaky nod as he tried. He immediately struggled but luckily, Akechi noticed. He helped Akira to his feet and supported him as they walked to the elevator.

* * *

Akira wasn't sure when he had passed out but he knew he had. He sat up from the bed he was in and looked around the unfamiliar room. He began to panic when he saw another person. Akechi, he was supposed to have shot him. He was going to kill him- But that wasn't true anymore. The memories of his rescue resurfaced although they were fuzzy and hard to make sense of. All he really knew was that Akechi had saved him. Something made him have a change of heart. _Something_ made him give up his plan. Part of him relaxed at the idea.

"You're awake." Akechi smiled warmly at him. He cupped Akira's face gently and gave him a quick kiss. "How are you feeling."

"Bad." With the initial panic gone, Akira realized just how much everything hurt. He tried to sit up but that made the world spin painfully fast. Akechi helped him to lay back down so that he wouldn't hit the pillows too hard. "Where is everyone?"

Akechi smiled. "You're probably hungry, right? It's been a while since you've eaten anything."

"But-"

Akechi shushed him. He placed a hand on his cheek and began to trace Akira's jawline with his thumb. "Focus on yourself for now."

Akira slowly nodded. Akechi was right, the others could probably wait. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to lean into Akechi's touch.

"Let me get you some water. Then we can try some food if you're feeling up to it."

Akira nodded, already on his way to falling back asleep. Everything was so _tiring_ right now. He wasn't even sure he _wanted_ to be awake when everything hurt so much. He fell back asleep to the sound of footsteps.

When he awoke sometime later, Akechi was sitting next to him on the bed. Akira realized it was probably his bed. Where else would Akechi have taken when they clearly weren't in LeBlanc?

"Are you going to fall asleep again?" Akechi smirked at him. Akira just stared for a moment before he tried to sit up. A steady hand on back helped him to slowly rise to a sitting position. Even with that slow movement, he felt painfully lightheaded. "You need to drink something." Akechi smiled and grabbed a glass of water that Akira realized he had ready. He put the glass to Akira's mouth instead of handing it to him, leaving Akira to grab it as Akechi tipped the cup.

The cool water felt great going down his still aching throat. When he'd had enough he tried to pull the glass away but Akechi refused to lower it. "Akira," He scolded. "You need to stay hydrated. I know you didn't have much to drink since before the infiltration. I'm doing this to help."

Akira dropped his hands. Akechi was right, he was massively dehydrated and absolutely needed the water. He let Akechi continue to give him the water until the glass was empty. He saw the older boy smile as he removed the glass and placed it on a nightstand next to the bed. "Thank you." Akira's voice was still scratchy but it was better than-

"Of course." Akechi pulled Akira into a hug as he froze. "I just want to help."

"A-Akechi, you- you killed someone." Akira's eyes widened as the memories came into sharper focus. The guard's blurry face. The fear he'd felt when Akechi turned the gun on _him_. Suddenly, Akechi's hold felt much less comforting. He was a _murderer,_ Akira knew he shouldn't let himself get comfortable, but... Akechi had saved him. That counted for something. He had every opportunity to kill him in the interrogation room but he didn't.

"Akira." Akechi's voice was calm. His grip on Akira tightened. "What are you talking about?"

"The interrogation room!" It hurt to raise his voice. His head was already pounding and his body was begging for sleep to return. "The guard- you-"

"What guard?" Akechi gave him what seemed to be a genuinely confused look. "Akira, it was just you and me in the interrogation room."

That wasn't right, he remembered seeing Akechi shoot a guard. He couldn't really make out the fine details but it _happened_. "What? No, Akechi I saw you-"

Akechi ran a hand through Akira's hair. Part of him was ashamed to admit it calmed his nerves a little. "Akira, I think the drugs are still messing with your head." Akechi lightly caressed Akira's cheek. "It was just the two of us when I rescued you."

"But I remember-"

"You must be merging two moments in your head." Akira looked at Akechi for a moment. He knew what he saw but... did he really? "Akira, you've been through a lot today. It's okay to be confused." Everything _was_ still fuzzy, he couldn't even remember the guard's face. As Akechi's words sewed doubt into his mind he began to think, maybe he really _had_ imagined it...

"I... I was scared." He placed his hand to his head, feeling a throbbing pain. Maybe he couldn't trust his memory right now. "I thought you were going to kill me so I-" The more he thought about it the more plausible it sounded. "...I must have imagined it."

Akechi nodded. "I'm sorry for scaring you like that." He continued to his hand through Akira's hair. "I was never going to hurt you Akira." Akira rested his head against Akechi and nodded. His eyes slipped shut as Akechi continued to give him reassurances. It wasn't long before Akira was asleep again.

* * *

When Akira stirred from his sleep, everything was so dark it was almost suffocating. The only light came from the softly glowing numbers on the alarm clock next to him but he couldn't read them. The numbers seemed to twist and morph as if in a dream but he was awake. He had to be awake. He wouldn't be silently terrified if he was asleep.

Akira tried to sit up but quickly found that to be a bad idea. His arms couldn't support his weight sending him back down into the pillows. Despite how soft they were, pain erupted through his head, quickly shooting down his spine and spreading to everything else. His breathing began to pick up as he realized how _helpless_ he was.

He was alone. All alone. It brought him back to those agonizing minutes in the interrogation room. When he'd been waiting for Akechi before he came in ~~with that guard~~ by himself to rescue him. The memory of his night in jail all those months ago decided to rear its ugly head as well. Alone and scared, waiting futilely for his parents to come save him...

Without thinking, he called out. "Akechi!" His voice was hoarse and his throat hurt but he couldn't be alone like this. He _needed_ someone to help him. Akechi, his friends, _anyone_. "A-Akechi!"

It took less than a minute for Akechi to run in. Light flooded the room and Akira felt like he could breathe again.

Akira watched as Akechi threw off his coat and rushed to his side. His breathing didn't return to normal, even as he had someone there with him. No matter what he did, he couldn't get enough air and it _hurt_. Akechi rubbed his back in soothing motions that only calmed him down a fraction. "Deep breaths Akira." His voice was calming. He was _there_ ~~unlike his friends~~ and Akira could feel himself slowly calming down with his help. Once his breathing evened out, he all but collapsed against Akechi. "You're okay now Akira. You're with _me_ now." 

"Where were-"

Akechi shushed him as he pulled Akira close with one arm. He used his free hand to play with Akira's hair. Akira found his eyelids getting heavy as he relaxed further. "Don't worry about that, I'm here now."

Akira closed his eyes. He felt Akechi shift and frowned. "Don't go." He grabbed onto Akechi's shirt as tight as he could. "Please..."

"I'm not going anywhere Akira." 

* * *

"Akira." Akechi's voice sounded far away as Akira drifted in a strange state that felt like it was between unconsciousness and wakefulness. He weakly reached out to where he thought the voice might be coming from only to be met with empty air. The world around him seemed to twist as if in the metaverse. Somehow the small room Akechi had let him stay in seemed both too dull and bright. It made Akira want to hide away and never come back. "Can you hear me?"

Akira nodded as Akechi's voice almost seemed to echo. He sat up, noting the immediate nausea that came with the action. He blindly reached for Akechi but couldn't find him. Was he even there? Akira held his head, trying to fight off the forming headache he felt.

"Akira." Akira's attention turned to the door. He thought he heard a voice come from there but...

Akira woke up. He looked to see Akechi sitting over him. His gentle smile morphed into something more sinister. Cruel amusement danced through his eyes. Akira's breath caught in his throat as Akechi grabbed him. He held him tight, squeezing him until Akira through his spine might snap from the pressure.

"Hey." Akechi's voice didn't come from the thing in front of him. He looked around before he was plunged into a darkness that continued to restrict him like the monster with Akechi's face. The world around him faded away, leaving him without solid ground. He began to fall into a void for what felt like an eternity...

Akira woke up. He found himself in the attic of LeBlanc. A sense of longing filled his chest as he looked around at his home. ~~_Not anymore_.~~ The space was so empty and lonely.

The small lightbulb in the room began to flicker on and off, rapidly growing brighter as it did. Akira tried to shield his eyes but his arms didn't want to cooperate. He suddenly heard a loud creaking sound from below.

The floorboards beneath him shattered, leaving him with nowhere to stand. He fell into the cafe as wood shards pierced his skin. When he hit the ground, he didn't stop. He phased through the floor and continued falling. Flashes of familiar yet unidentifiable faces surrounded him. 

"It's time to get up."

Akechi's voice rang out from all directions but he was nowhere to be found. Among the crowd of blurry faces that surrounded him, Goro Akechi was not one of them...

Akira woke up. Blue flames consumed his body, leaving him writhing in agony. A familiar demon wrapped in chains grinned at him with its flaming face. A faint blue glow approached only to be quickly snuffed out by the overwhelming darkness that surrounded him.

The darkness advanced. It consumed the demon leaving nothing behind but its laughter which echoed all around. The flames around him grew more intense as if to fight back against the darkness. They burned away at his flesh leaving nothing but charred bones behind...

Akira woke up. He was in Akechi's bed as Akechi sat over him. A glass of water in hand along with two small tablets. Shadows danced around him, growing longer and shorter with no rhyme or reason. He stared at the boy and sat up, noting how light-headed he felt in doing so. His eyes flew shut to combat the feeling but it did little to help.

"What's wrong?" A hand on his shoulder squeezed gently. Akira shook his head and kept his eyes closed tight. Colors flowed behind his eyes, ever shifting. He was so tired. So so tired. "Akira, I'm just trying to help you. You know you can trust me."

Akira grabbed at the hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes. Akechi was still there, something strange in his expression. Akira couldn't understand it.

Akechi held out the pills and water for him to accept but Akira didn't do anything. He just stared at the offering, watching how the water rippled. Slowly, he brought his gaze to Akechi's face, he looked annoyed. Impatient. Angry. "I'll just go then." The words echoed painfully and Akira found himself grabbing the water. He didn't want to be alone. He _couldn't_ be alone. "Good."

Akira downed the tablets with the help of the water. As soon as he was done, Akechi gently stole the cup away and placed it out of reach. Akira's eyes nervously followed Akechi as he fluidly moved about the room. The shadows that surrounded him seemed to almost bend to his will. When Akechi neared the door, Akira's heart sank.

"Wait!" He reached out and Akechi stopped. He stopped. For him...

Akira woke up...

* * *

Akira watched the wall. He watched the shadows morph and grow as Akechi held him. "Akechi..." Everything seemed so far away. He felt like he was hollow on the inside. He missed his friends. He missed his home. He missed the numbness that came with his less lucid moments. The words tumbled out. "When can I go home?"

"Akira," Akechi's grip on him tightened ever so slightly. Akira leaned into the protective gesture. "You _are_ home."

"Where are my friends?" Akira asked. He looked at Akechi but couldn't read his expression. Strange splotches of colors seemed to glide across his face as if he just finished looking directly into the sun. They obscured his vision and made it difficult to focus on any one detail. Akira frowned and continued. "I- don't they miss me?" He shook his head and buried his face in Akechi's shoulder. "I haven't seen them in-"

Akira's words were cut off when Akechi shushed him. He ran his hand through Akira's hair with one hand and held him with the other. "You have me." He whispered. "Don't worry Akira, you can trust me."

Akira nodded. Trust. Akechi was _there,_ so where were his friends? His stomach began to churn uncomfortably. "Akechi, where are they?" They weren't there when Akechi was. They weren't in the interrogation room. They weren't there to see Akechi enter alone and save Akira by himself.

"They- Akira," Akechi sighed, Akira saw a vague sense of what he thought might be regret on Akechi's face. "I'm sorry. They abandoned you."

His heart dropped. "N-no, they wouldn't-" Akechi held him ever closer and began to pet his hair. "You're- you have to be wrong."

"Akira, they abandoned you the second they sent you to get caught in their place." He leaned in closer until Akira could feel his breath on his ear. "Do you really think they were going to save you?" He whispered. Akira began to tremble in Akechi's hold. He felt sick, this was all wrong.

"They made a plan to save me," Akechi kissed Akira's temple as he tried to argue. He tried to ignore the distracting sensations as he collected his thoughts. "They were coming back for me."

"That _plan_ was a farce Akira." Anger seeped into Akechi's voice as his hold became tighter. "They were never coming back." He let out a bitter laugh. "If _I_ hadn't saved you..."

Akira grabbed Akechi's arm as the shaking grew worse. "I-"

"Don't need them." Akechi began to run his hand through Akira's hair. Akira closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. He grabbed Akechi's other arm tighter and held it against himself. "You have me Akira. I'm the only one you need."

Akira slowly nodded. It stung but, maybe he'd known all along. Akechi had been there when they hadn't. He'd _saved_ him. ~~_From what?_~~ It didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that he had Akechi. As long as he was by his side, it didn't matter what else happened.

Akechi moved his hand down to Akira's jaw. He traced the shape before grabbing his chin. He brought him in for a long kiss. Akira let Akechi take the lead as a million thoughts ran through his mind. Not a single one mattered. 

* * *

_I am thou,_

_Thou art I,_

_Thou hast forsaken thine justice,_

_Losing thine self to the abyss._

_Thou hast entrenched thyself in chains,_

_Thus,_

_The contract has been broken._

* * *

Akira clung to Akechi in a half lucid state. He closed his eyes as he rested against his chin on his shoulder. Strong arms wrapped around him in a comforting embrace. He could faintly feel as Akechi peppered kisses on his neck. It hurt but Akira didn't complain. Akechi was there with him, he was _home._ Everything would be fine.

Akira sat silently in Akechi's embrace. He'd stopped asking questions some time ago. He trusted Akechi to judge what information was and wasn't important for him to know. Asking questions hadn't helped anything anyways.

Akechi suddenly stopped kissing Akira. "Are you still awake?" His voice had a pleasant softness to it. Akira hummed an affirmative. Akechi chuckled slightly, "Maybe you should get some rest."

Akira lightly whined in protest but otherwise made no attempts to stop Akechi from bringing him to the bed and laying him down. Akira opened his eyes to look at Akechi, a large smirk sat on his face. Akira reached out to him with a smile. "Akechi..."

Akechi leaned in and gave Akira a long kiss. Akira closed his eyes and kissed back. When they parted, he could feel his heart pounding out of his chest.

"Get some sleep Akira." Akechi gently caressed his cheek. "We have all the time in the world."

Akira hummed. He frowned when Akechi took his hand away but like he said, they had time. It wouldn't be long before he could see him again. The one person he needed. He fell asleep ignoring the emptiness he felt in his chest. Any pain he felt paled in comparison to what he felt around Akechi. He smiled, knowing that Akechi would be waiting for him when he woke up.


End file.
